Conveyer



April 2, 1929. l J. E. MCBRIDE 1,707,359

CONVEYER I Filed Aug. 21. 1922 2 SheetSSheet l April 2, 1929. E MCRIDE1,707,359

GONVEYER M Filed Aug. 2l. 1922 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 nvewtcn lletented Apr.2, 1929.

rrsD STATES llffll'll E. MCERIDE, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TOPLMER-BEECOMANY.

0F DETROIT, MIGHIGAN, A GORPDLRATIGN OF MICHIGAN.

CONVEYER.

Application filed August 21, `1922. `Serial No. 583,305.

rlhe invention relates to conveyers and more particularly to platiiorniconveyers. rlhe invention has lor sonic oli its objects to provide zplatform conveyer in which the slats forming" the conveyer platform aresecured to the attachment links oit the conwyer chains in their centra-lplanes; and in which the conveyor chains are supported by rollers oiisetlaterally 'from the chain links and plat- 'lorin slats to perinittherollers to return upon lower tracks which are similar to the uppertracks Without interterino` With the turning over ot the plattorin slatsupon their return. @ther objects are to provides eonveyer in Which theshafts upon which the rollers are niounted are non-rotatably secured tothe attachmentlinks ot the chains; to provide nonrotatable bushings uponthe shafts 'tor the rollers; and to provide a readily accessibleconstrijuetion 'tor lubricating the rollers. A

'Further object is the ljirovision ot a novel construction of attachmentlink. y

lllith these and other objects in View, the invcntion resides in thenovel features of construction and combinations and arrangements oillparts as inore `iully hereina'lterset forth.

ln the drawings: y Figure l a side elevation of a portion of u conveyorembodying' my invention g Figure 2 an end elevation partly in section otthe conveyor mounted upon the tracks; Figure 3 is a plan `View of aportion ot the mnweyei.' chain g lligrure 4l is a side elevation otnient l ink oli the f eonveyer chain l-linure 5 is a side elevation ofconstruction ot conveyer;

lt1 igrure (l is a crtiss section on the line G-G oit Figure 5; i

Figure is an end View ot a roller bushing. l is the plat'lorln conveyormounted to run on thc upper and lower tracks 2 and 3 respectively whichare mounted vupon a suitable liraine 1l. ',lhe platiorin for theconveyer is :lornied by slats o infeterably of channel cross sectionwhich extend across and are secured to the parallel conveyor chainsconiprising an attacha niodilied the series oi? pivot/all*V7 connectedlinks G Athe Webs ot the slats constituting` the supporting` plafttorinand their parallel sides extending` down nird.

YFor the pinpose of securing' a substantially continilous platform, itis desirable that the slats 5 should extend in close proximity to eachother.` However, since the conveyor must pass around sprockets at itsends, it is .necessary to avoid interference bet-Ween the slats when thelinks are :in angular relation to cach other. lWith .my construction olflink, this .is provided for.

llach link 6 comprises an intermediate channel-shaped portion 7 and thepivot portions 8 and 9 at opposite ends andnear the edge opposite theWeb oli the channel. The pivot portion 8 comprises the separated hubsupon the side flanges of the link, while the pivot port0n9 comprises theopposite end portions of the side flanges, and the barrel formed at theend of the Web of the channel. The length of the pivot portion 9 is suchthat it lits between the hubs termino the pivot portion 8 oft theconnecting link and its aperti'lre registers with the apertures throughthese hubs. The slats embrace the intermediate channel-sha1f ed portions7 ol" the links and, the Webs of the slats are secured to the Webs ofthe` links by suitable means, such as stove bolts, in the central planesof the links and consequently in the central planes of the conveyerchains. The side flanges otI the sluts extend in close proximity to eachother and terminate above the axes olf the pivot portions. The sprocketsat the ends et the con- Veyer engage the pivot portions 9.

l/Vith this arrangement, a substantially continuons platform formed ofchannel-shaped slats which do not interfere with each other, secured.Also, the means for securing;` the slats to the links of the chains arein the central planes ol the chains. In addition, since the sprocketsengage a pivot portion of each link, the stresses in moving the conveyorthrough its path are directly transmitted through the links,

The pivots 'lor connecting adjacent ends of the links comprise shalts l0passino` through the aligned aijiertures in the pivot portioi'ls 8 and9. 1l are bushings upon the opposite ends oiE the shafts, and l2 areflanged rollers rotatably inountml upon the bushings and adapted to rollupon the upper and lower tracks 2 and 3 respectively, which are similar.'.lhese' rollers are laterally offset beyond the ends ot the slats 5whereby the conveyer inay freely pass over the end sprockets and turnover. llurtherniore, with this relation ol"I rollers, conreyer chainsand platform slats, guard angles 13 niay be arranged upon the frame 4abovethe Yp ath of travel of the rollers. v Each shaft 10 is held fromrotation rela-tive .to the pivot portions 8 of the links 6 by formingdiametrically opposite recesses lll in the outer sides of the hubsforming the pivot portions and. by forming projections or teeth l5 uponthe inner endsof the bushings 1l, which engage in the recesses I4., andalso by passing Cotter keys or the like 1G through the outer ends of theshafts andthe bushings. rlhesc cotter keys also pass through the flangedwashers 17 which retain the rollers l2 upon the shafts. The openings inthe bushings and washers through 'whiclrthe Cotter keys cxtendarepreferably open-ended. The rollers l2 'are cored to form the interiorannular recesses 18 and radial passages 19 leading` i to theirr innerbearing faces; rlhese interior Cil recesses maybe filled with lubricantthrough the plugged openings 2O and the .lubricant 1s Vthen conductedVto the bearing' faces between the rollersand the bushings by suitablevmeans such as the wicks 21.

lNith'this arrangement, the kshafts constitilting the pivots* forconnectingl adjacent ends of the links are held from rotation as arealso thebushings upon the shafts; rlf'he rollers rotate upon thebushings, but has interior chambers which may be lilled with lubricantfor lubricating the bearing' surfaces between the rollers and bushings.Repairs may be readily made to the rollers and bushings without thenecessity'of disinantling` the conveyer chains. Furthermore, theconstruction i such that the rollers are readily acces sible forlubricating purposes.

In the modified construction of conveyor as .shown in Figures-5 and G,the arrangement of links 22 and platform slats 23 is the same that shownin Figures l to 4 inclusive `with the exception that alternatelinks arevprovided with the hubs Q4 intermediate the ends of theirl sideV flangesprovided with aligned apertures through which the shafts 25 pass. The'rollers 2G aie rotatably mounted upon bushings 27 which in turnare'mounted upon the ends of the shafts These shafts and bushings arenonrotatably secured to the hub upon the outer side flange of the linkin the same manner that the shafts lO and bushings ll are nonrotatablysecured to the hub upon the outer side flange of the link 6. The pivotportions of the links are suitably connected by pins 28. IVitli thisconstruction, a sul stantially continuous platform is provided with onlyhalf the usual number of shafts and rollers,the arrangement being` suchthat the slats between the slats supported by the rollers are supportedwith scarcely any de- .Y tlection under load..V

Still another important advantage secured by 'my construction ofconveyor is the supn portingof the vload carrying rollers upon trackswhich extend to the center line of the headffshaft instead of adjacentto the edges of the sprockets engaged by the conveyor chains.

l/Vhat I claim as my invention is l. In a conveyor, the combination withsubstantially parallel chains comprising attachment links each havingpivotally connected end portions and an integral intermediatechannel-shaped portion, of channelshaped slats extending across andembracing said iiitern'iediate channel-shaped portions and securedthereto, the side flanges of said channel-shaped slats extendingadjacent to each other and terminating above the axes of the linkpivots.

2. In a` conveyor, the combination with a chain comprising attachmentlinks each ha ving pivotally connected end portions and an intermediatechannel-shaped portion, of channel-shaped slats extending transverselyof and embracing said channel-shaped por tions, the webs of said slatsbeing secured to the webs of said channel-shaped portions in thelongitudinal central planes of said links. shafts constituting thepivotsfor said links, and rollers upon the outer ends of said lsha fi sbeyond the opposite ends of said slats.

3. In a conveyor, the combination vcilzh a chain comprising pivotallyconnected links. of slats extending transversely oi" and secured to saidlinks, shafts extending transversely through said links, means fornonrolatahly securing each of said shafts to a. link, and rollers uponsaid shafts.

4,-. In a conveyor, the combination with a chain comprising pivotallyconnor-,tml links` of slats extending transversely of and secured tosaid links, shafts extending transversely through said links, bushingsupon the outer ends of said shafts and nonrotatably scoured thereto,means for nonrotatably securing` said bushings to a link, and rollersjtmrnallcd upon said bushings.

5. In a conveyor, the combination with a chain comp-rising a series oflinks pivotally connected attheir cnds,l.oad carrying members extendingtransversely of and secured lo said links, shafts extending transverselythi-ouah said links, and constituting their pivots. means fornonrotataliily soruringl cach shaft to one of said links through whichit passes, and rollers upon said shaf G. In a conveyor, the combinationwith a chain comprising a series of links pi votally connected at theirends, of load carrying nicmbers extending transversely of and secured tosaid links, shafts extending` transversely through said links andconstituting their pivots, bushings upon the ends of said shafts. andnonrotatably secured thereto, means for nonrotatably securing each ofsaid bushingsy to one of the links through which tlu` respective shaftpasses, and rollers journallcd upon said bushings.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JESSE E. MGBRIDE.

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